My husband’s idea to temporarily separate felt like a last-ditch effort to save our marriage. He said it would help us miss each other and come back stronger. I reluctantly agreed and moved out, hoping it would work. But when my neighbor called to say there was a woman in my house, I feared the worst. Rushing home, I discovered my mother-in-law, Sheila, going through my closet and throwing my clothes away. She insisted she was there because Derek felt I wasn’t keeping the house properly.
When Derek returned, he didn’t apologize. Instead, he sided with his mother, criticizing how I managed our home and suggesting I needed her help. In that moment, I saw our marriage for what it was: unequal and unsupportive. I wasn’t his partner; I was a project he and his mother were trying to fix. I knew then that our relationship was over. I left and filed for divorce, determined to reclaim my independence. This experience taught me that no one should ever make you feel inadequate in your own home or your own skin.
